Hakim Ashmead
"So don't talk to me about determination… if you can't back it up with action!" - Hakim, in "Tandem Mirror" Hakim Ashmead is a major character from the Planetes television series. He initially appears as an agent of the OSA (Orbital Security Agency), and eventually as a Jupiter Mission candidate, along with Hachimaki. History Hakim was born in Mananga, an impoverished nation located in Western Asia. Mananga's history had been fraught with economic turmoil and civil war, mostly due to space resources replacing the country's once profitable crude oil reserves, making Hakim's role in space somewhat unusual. Upon enlisting with the OSA, Hakim is taken under the wing of Hachi's former EVA instructor, Gigalt Gangaragash, who refers to him as "a real diamond in the rough". With Gigalt's direction, Hakim demonstrated an impressive skill for EVA and a desire to protect the interests of space development, which on numerous occasions come to revolve around Hachi and/or the rest of Technora's debris section. In the series' second half, the upcoming mission to Jupiter on the recently completed Wernher von Braun prompts Hakim to resign from the OSA in order to pursue a spot of the Von Braun's crew. During the initial tests, he once again runs into Hachimaki, who had quit Technora for identical reasons. Hachi comes to greatly respect Hakim for his abilities, his tenacity, and his resolve to make the cut, no matter the cost. Eventually, both men advance to the final round of tests. Hakim's true motives, however, are revealed when Hachi catches him attempting to destroy the Von Braun's tandem mirror engine with explosives. It becomes clear that Hakim's outward appearance was nothing but a well-crafted facade, and that he is in fact, a member of the terrorist organization known as the Space Defense Front. Hachi threatens to kill Hakim with a wire launcher, but is ultimately unable to bring himself to pull the trigger, as Hakim's bomb detonates. The Von Braun's engines survive the blast, but Hakim escapes and goes into hiding as an extensive investigation begins. In the wake of the attack, it's discovered that Hakim had been leaking information to the SDF during their failed attempt to destroy ISPV-7 and initiate the Kessler Syndrome in Earth's orbit. Claire Rondo is questioned by authorities when it's discovered that she and Hakim are romantically involved, having bonded over their shared dissatisfaction with the monopolization of space by the wealthiest nations. A hospitalized Gigalt learns of Hakim's true identity, and laments that he couldn't think of a nickname for him, while preparations for the Jupiter Mission continue as planned, albeit with increased security. During the series' climax, after the chairmen of INTO (International Treaty Organization) schedule a historic meeting on the surface of the Moon, the SDF plan to once again target the Von Braun, this time by seizing control of a number of navigational satellites and causing the enormous ship to crash into Sea of Tranquillity City, an event that would claim the lives of more than 120,000 people. Hakim leads a team of fellow terrorists and manages to hijack the DS-12 with the help of Claire, who has accepted an invitation from Hakim to join the SDF. The hijacked DS-12 docks with the Von Braun, and Hakim and his group begin shooting crew members. Claire is feared dead after facing return fire from the OSA, while Hakim makes his way to the office of Dr. Locksmith, the Chief Designer of the Von Braun, whom he intends to kill. Locksmith isn't there, but Hachimaki has been waiting for him in Locksmith's office, having suspected Hakim would come. The two men come to blows, during which Hachi calls Hakim a "fanatic", and accuses him of betraying their shared mentor, Gigalt, on his deathbed. Hakim maintains that he had "the utmost respect" for Gigalt, but doesn't budge in his views on space development, and states that Hachi is the fanatic, in that he is "obsessed with space". The men wrestle for control of a gun, which Hachi eventually obtains, and aims at Hakim's head. In this moment, Hakim tells Hachi that he sees in his eyes the capability to kill him, something he lacked during their previous encounter, and warns that if Hachi shoots him, he will be forever changed. Ignoring him, Hachi pulls the trigger, only to find there is no ammunition in the gun. Just then, an explosion rips through the room, and Hakim disappears. Unbeknownst to Hakim at the time, the Space Defense Front's plan was abandoned after the INTO chairman brokered a deal with the figurehead of the SDF, who relinquish control of the Von Braun, sparing the lives of the crew, and of the city below. Hakim's final appearance is on the Moon's surface, just outside Mare Tranquillitatis Medical Center, where he was apparently being treated for his injuries. While examining an access panel, he is caught by Nono, who is sneaking out of an airlock to play on the lunar surface. Nono asks Hakim if he's from the hospital, which he denies, and then asks what Hakim is doing. He tells her he's "just cleaning up", and that he plans to make the world "pristine" again, undoing the monopolization of space by the first world countries. Hakim then raises a wire launcher, intending to kill the young girl, but is caught off guard when Nono says she's never seen a country before. She explains that she's a Lunarian, someone born on the Moon, and asks Hakim to point out his country on the distant Earth. At that moment, Hakim realizes that he can't — the distance between the Earth and the Moon renders all borders unrecognizable. Visibly shaken, Hakim walks away, muttering to himself that, while Nono can't see the divisions between countries, he still does. Category:Characters Category:Space Defense Front Category:Orbital Security Agency